Speakers Corner Trusthttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org
Just another WordPress weblogMon, 02 Mar 2015 15:55:01 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1People’s Hustings Return for 2015 Electionshttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9620/peoples-hustings-return-for-2015-elections/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9620/peoples-hustings-return-for-2015-elections/#commentsWed, 21 Jan 2015 16:20:12 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=9620People's Hustings - piloted with such success in 2010 - are to take place at a number of Speakers' Corners in the run-up to the general election in May. Plans are already in hand in Nottingham and Lichfield and others are set to follow.
The initiative is designed to help revitalise the flagging tradition of face-to-face political engagement which, in providing a platform for candidates, also renders them accountable to the voters.
But this proposal goes an important step further by enabling the public rather than the politicians to set the agenda. At each, a diverse range of voluntary groups are invited to set out their priorities for the next government; members of the public are encouraged to express their views and the party candidates are asked to respond spontaneously to what they've heard. A broader debate can then follow.
You can find a report on 2010's People's Hustings with a link which provides guidance on how to organise your own here.]]>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9620/peoples-hustings-return-for-2015-elections/feed/0The Financial Transaction Tax – Social Justice or Economic Folly?http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9373/the-financial-transaction-tax-social-justice-or-economic-folly/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9373/the-financial-transaction-tax-social-justice-or-economic-folly/#commentsThu, 18 Dec 2014 00:01:05 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=9373The campaign for a Financial Transaction Tax has gained considerable momentum since the financial crash of 2008. The Nobel Laureate economist James Tobin originally conceived it in 1972 as a levy on currency exchanges which would both regulate destabilising movements of funds and secure aid for developing countries. More recently its scope has been broadened to include a tax on all share, bond and currency transactions.

Its supporters, among them the European Commission and eleven EU members, claim that it could raise substantial funds for both participating governments and developing nations and that it is right that the financial institutions should be making a proper contribution to the reduction of the debt levels they created.

But its opponents, which include the UK and US governments, argue that the tax would reduce the volume of financial transactions and lead directly to the loss of jobs in financial centres, including the City of London. They warn too that pension funds and ordinary savers will receive lower returns as the banks simply pass on costs to customers.

So is the Financial Transaction Tax – also known as the Tobin Tax or the Robin Hood Tax – a simple and just means of redistributing wealth, combating poverty and reining in financial institutions, or is it a naïve and unworkable levy which would destabilise financial institutions, undermine the City and the UK economy and penalise pensioners and savers?… read more »

]]>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9373/the-financial-transaction-tax-social-justice-or-economic-folly/feed/0You can’t say that! Free speech in an age of offencehttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9435/you-cant-say-that-free-speech-in-an-age-of-offence/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9435/you-cant-say-that-free-speech-in-an-age-of-offence/#commentsTue, 18 Nov 2014 10:41:57 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=9435debate organised at the Free Word Centre in London by the Institute of Ideas in association with Free Word and English PEN.
At a time when calls to censor expression considered offensive have become almost a daily occurence, the IoI gathered a panel for one of its Battle of Ideas events and asked: are there some words or ideas that are so abhorrent they must be eliminated from public life regardless of the context; or does such a subjective measure as offence inevitably result in the stifling of free expression and the ability to speak frankly on controversial subjects?
You can listen to the debate on Free Word's website. Peter Bradley's article Living in Outrageous Times, based on his contribution to the debate, can be found on the Free Speech Debate website.
]]>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9435/you-cant-say-that-free-speech-in-an-age-of-offence/feed/0Speakers’ Corner at the Being Human Festival – 15 Novemberhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9306/speakers-corner-at-the-being-human-festival/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9306/speakers-corner-at-the-being-human-festival/#commentsTue, 07 Oct 2014 17:19:37 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=9306SCT and the British Library are jointly organising two Speakers' Corner events as part of the Being Human Festival of the Humanities which takes place around the country between 15 and 23 November. Led by the University of London's School of Advanced Study and involving over 35 research institutions, the festival will highlight the ways in which humanities research can help us to understand ourselves, our relationships with others and the challenges we face in a changing world.
As part of the Too Much Information - Being human in a digital age event at the Senate House (Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU) on Saturday 15 November, SCT and the British Library are mounting two Speakers' Corner debates designed to engage the public in lively discussion about our shared future as ‘digital humans’.
The first, on Truth, Propaganda and Purpose (1:40-2.20 pm), to be introduced by Guardian columnist Zoe Williams, will pose a number of questions about how we encounter 'truth' on the internet and whether propaganda or spin can ever be justified.
The second, on Truth, Lies and the Individual (3:20-4.00 pm), led by Professor Jeremy Gilbert, asks whether the best way to preserve our freedoms is to accept that the internet can be abused by individuals, corporations and states or whether we need tougher regulation.
Anyone is welcome to join in the debates and attend the rest of the day's programme. Admission is free but you will need to book a ticket.
Follow the emerging programme on Twitter #BeingHuman14.]]>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9306/speakers-corner-at-the-being-human-festival/feed/0Immigration and the UK – If There’s a Problem, What’s the Solution?http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8766/immigration-and-the-uk-if-theres-a-problem-whats-the-solution/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8766/immigration-and-the-uk-if-theres-a-problem-whats-the-solution/#commentsMon, 22 Sep 2014 23:01:36 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=8766As the recent rise of the UK Independence Party has confirmed, immigration is consistently close to the top of popular concerns about life in modern Britain. But are those concerns justified? Should we continue to welcome economic migrants and refugees or is this country now ‘full up’? Is continuing immigration from both European Union countries and further afield depriving British people of jobs and housing – or is it essential to our prosperity? Do immigrants place too much of a burden on our welfare system – or do they contribute more than they benefit? Is our distinctively British culture and identity enriched or diluted by immigration?

What is the case for and against continuing immigration and what are its social and economic consequences? What does the data tell us? If there are problems, what are the solutions?… read more »

]]>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8766/immigration-and-the-uk-if-theres-a-problem-whats-the-solution/feed/0Nottingham Debates Scottish Independencehttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9173/nottingham-debates-scottish-independence/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9173/nottingham-debates-scottish-independence/#commentsMon, 01 Sep 2014 10:58:42 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=9173Scotland and the United Kingdom – Partnership or Partition? in SCT's Forum for Debate series.]]>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9173/nottingham-debates-scottish-independence/feed/0Bursary Boost for Croydon Speakers’ Cornerhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9140/bursary-boost-for-croydon-speakers-corner/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9140/bursary-boost-for-croydon-speakers-corner/#commentsWed, 23 Jul 2014 15:16:43 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=9140http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/9140/bursary-boost-for-croydon-speakers-corner/feed/0Band Launches EP at Croydon Speakers’ Cornerhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8992/band-launches-ep-at-croydon-speakers-corner/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8992/band-launches-ep-at-croydon-speakers-corner/#commentsMon, 30 Jun 2014 10:12:58 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=8992White Heath which played acoustic versions of two tracks from the Out Of Angles EP it released that day. Describing the band's sound, lead singer Sean Watson explained that after a decade of trying to pin it down, "I like to revert to the height of pretension: we represent the realisation of John Cage's ideas and writings in that we play 'the all-sound music of the future'". Whatever the style, White Heath's performance was very well received.
Out of Angles is available on a 'pay what you want' basis on White Heath's facebook page.
More about the Croydon launch.]]>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8992/band-launches-ep-at-croydon-speakers-corner/feed/0Scotland and the United Kingdom – Partnership or Partition?http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8750/scotland-and-the-united-kingdom-partnership-or-partition/
http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/8750/scotland-and-the-united-kingdom-partnership-or-partition/#commentsThu, 05 Jun 2014 22:07:04 +0000peterhttp://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=8750On 18 September 2014, voters in Scotland will answer the simple question “should Scotland be an independent country?” and their decision will have profound consequences not just for themselves but for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Supporters of the status quo believe that remaining part of the UK represents “the best of both worlds” for a proud nation with a Parliament already exercising a range of devolved powers but within the security of a strong political and economic union. Campaigners for independence argue that when Scots are able to shape their own destiny free of the control of a remote government in Westminster, they will have the resources they need to create “a country which is fairer and more prosperous”.

But what are the benefits and disadvantages of union and the opportunities and risks of independence? Would independence genuinely place Scotland’s future in its own hands or create a small new nation ill-equipped to deal with global pressures? Does union underpin the Scottish economy or stifle its potential? Could an independent Scotland retain the pound and remain within the EU and NATO or would it become politically and economically marginalised? Would it be able to maintain or increase its spending on education, health and welfare and could it establish its own credible defence, intelligence and police forces or is it dependent on resources pooled across the UK? And how would independence for 5.5 million Scots impact on the 55 million citizens of England, Wales and Northern Ireland?

With the referendum only three months away, David Gardiner of Better Together and Angus Millar of Yes Scotland set out their cases in this crucial debate.… read more »